Embry-Riddle students to take Speedway spin in EcoCAR

The students have been competing against 14 other North American universities to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles without compromising performance, safety or consumer acceptability.

DEBORAH CIRCELLIEDUCATION WRITER

DAYTONA BEACH — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students are displaying their green technology in the Sprint FanZone through next weekend and will take a lap around the track prior to the Daytona 500. Students participating in the EcoCAR2 Challenge, a national three-year competition established by General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy, have a car similar to the EcoCAR in the FanZone daily through Saturday and then will be on the track next Sunday for a parade lap at 11:40 a.m. More than 50 Embry-Riddle students have been participating in the challenge, which is in its second year competing against 14 other North American universities to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles without compromising performance, safety or consumer acceptability. Embry-Riddle students are converting a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu into a hybrid car using lithium batteries and a 1.7-liter biodiesel fuel engine. The biodiesel is made out of leftover waste from the student cafeteria on campus. "We are proud to promote green technologies along with NASCAR at the Daytona 500," said Marc Compere, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and the team's faculty adviser. Baleigh Hyatt, 23, of Titusville, who is working on her master's degree in business administration and is part of the EcoEagles team, said the display in the FanZone will show fans how the car will become more fuel-efficient, including the fuses being used and the batteries that are in the trunk bed of the car. The actual car is being worked on before testing in March so a demonstration car is being used. Hyatt said being in the FanZone is a "surreal experience" and the shop engineers' "drive and dedication is inspirational." "Having displays of the technologies we are integrating into our car enables us to reach out to NASCAR fans and teach them about renewable energies," she said. "It's awesome that we are here surrounded by so many car enthusiasts."